Stop And Smell The Coffee
by trishaj48
Summary: Sara has a life alternating experience and it makes her rethink her life. The idea for this story came to me when I watched the episode "Under A Cloud". As always nothing belongs to me, it is just borrowed.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Sara sat alone in the locker room, her whole body was shaking, how she hated rain storms, so many painful memories. Thoughts of what Natalie Davis had done to her flooded her mind.

"Get over it Sidle," she whispered to herself, "You have a job to do."

Sara stood and walked into one of the rooms in the main area of the Crime Lab and proceeded to get her shift started.

Half way through shift and the rain had not let up. Sara was joking with two of her co-workers about asking Greg to pick up something to eat when DB can in the room.

"All right. All right. Listen up. PD just pulled a man out of a flood channel with a suspicious head injury, we need to process him. Treat it like a crime until we know otherwise. Who's up next?" he asked.

Despite the fact she really didn't want to go out in the weather Sara said, "That'd be me."

A few more words were exchanged as Sara took the paper form DB's hand and left.

Sara went to the hospitable, where she is told that any ID would be in the bag that the man had with him. She picked it up and opened it, a look of shock crossed her face.

"G-Guys. Back out of here slowly and take him with you," she says, nodding toward the unidentified man.

"What is it?" she is asked.

"Bomb! And it is armed. It's a bomb," she said, hardly able to believe it herself.

It felt like an eternity but when the bomb squad arrived they were able to safely take it from her. Sara was shaken but stays and finishes processing the man.

When everything is finished Sara's shaky legs forces her to sit.

Jim Brass walks in, "How you doing Sara?"

"A little shaky," she tells him, "Nothing like staring into the abyss for 20 minutes to decided what's important in life."

"It's sad how it takes something so intense to make us stop and smell the coffee," Jim says.

All the rest of the shift Sara could not get Jim's words off her mind.

"I came a heartbeat away from being blown to pieces," she told herself, "You just never know."

Sara fell into a chair. In her mind she could see all the cases she had worked. Her mind was filled with all the people who had been taken way to soon.

"Did they any regrets?" she wondered, "Anything left unsettled? Unsaid? If you knew it is coming would you make sure everything is settled?"

What happened to Warrick came back to her just as if it was yesterday. He had no idea that morning when he got out of bed that it would be his last day on earth.

"You never know if the last thing you say to someone will be THE LAST thing they hear," Sara said, almost in a whisper.

She remembered a case a few years ago when a whole family was murdered except their little girl. She remembered a talk she had with Nick too: "When it's your day - it's your day".

She firmly believed that, especially after what had happened with Natalie Davis.

"That was not my day and neither was today," she said, as she stood up, "But tomorrow maybe."

There was something she had to do, something she had to settle, before "her day" came around.

Sara made a few phone calls, and then she went to find DB.

"I know it's sudden but I have to," she told him, after explaining what she wanted to do.

DB smiled, "I know. Go."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Authors note: I can not remember if there ever was a reason given by TPTB why they ended Grissom and Sara. So I made up this one. I hope you enjoy the story._

Sara's first call had been to Donald Michelson, the man in charge of the site where Grissom was. She had to make sure that he was still there. Grissom and three others had volunteered to do a 6 week study in the St. Croix Rain Forest.

"They have not left yet," Michelson had told her, "But the Professor and his group are not at camp right now. Do you want me to tell him you called?"

Sara thanked him and told him "No", she would call him later.

Sara's second call had been to the airlines. One half hour later she was on a plane, she had to confront him face to face; she had to get this settled.

Gil had sent her an e-mail telling her that he could see no reason for them to stay married and that she was free to "Get on with your life", whatever that meant.

Sara had not asked for a divorce, she didn't want one. Their married life was a tad unconventional but their relationship always had been. Sara was happy they had married and was deeply in love with her husband, she thought he was too.

"How could I have been so wrong?" she thought.

Maybe he was not as happy as she thought he was, but divorce? Sara had not started the proceedings yet, she kept making excuses. Grissom had mentioned it in the last e-mail she received from him - three months ago - so that is where it still sat. They were still married just separated.

Sara chuckled, "More so then before."

Sara stepped from the plane and hailed a cab. From the hotel she paid a young man to take her to the main path into the rainforest where Professor Grissom was studying some new and strange bug. From there it was a good five mile hike to the clearing.

Sara didn't mind the walk, she found it not only relaxing but it gave her time to go over in her head what needed to be said.

Michelson was the first to see her, smiling he shook her hand.

"It's been a while," he told her, "Grissom and his merry band of bug hunters are still in the glade. Your welcome to wait in either the main hut or his."

"He has his own hut now?" Sara said, "I was under the impression that only couples were allowed to have on site huts. That's why we always stayed in the village on my visits."

"That is the rule but we had one empty and with Grissom being a senior member we let him have it," was the answer she received. "Mia can show you too it."

Mia was one of the many locals that was employed by the camp to take care of everyday things.

"Please don't tell him I am here," Sara asked Michelson as she walked away.

He nodded. Grissom had not told him what had happened between him and Sara, Michelson thought it was none of his business anyway, but whatever it was, he was sure that Sara had came to straighten things out.

The hut was cozy, there was a small kitchenette, a main living space and a bedroom. There was an outside john and a small enclosed shower behind it. Sara sat on one of the chairs and started to leaf through a book. About an hour later she heard the sound of his voice outside telling the others that they would pick up where they left off tomorrow. When he opened the door Grissom could not believe his eyes. "Sara?"

"We need to talk," she said.

"Wha….What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I need an explanation to this," she told him, handing him a copy of the e-mail he had sent.

Grissom looked at it then crimpled it up and tossed it into a trash can.

"I would think that for someone as smart as you it would be self explanatory," he answered, with more then a hint of harshness in his voice, "I'm just giving you want you want."

"What I want!" Sara said, "What the flip are you talking about? I never asked for this."

Grissom rolled his eyes and made a grunting sound, "Maybe not in words but in actions and actions speak louder then words. And a picture is worth a thousand of them."

"What actions? What picture? Talk since," she said, annoyed that he was making no since.

Grissom turned on his laptop and opened a file.

"These," he said, turning it so she could see.

Sara scrolled through at least a dozen pictures of her and a man. In some of them they were kissing and some they were walking hand in hand. The last one they were coming out of a hotel room, with big smiles on their faces.

"Where did you get these?" she asked.

"Your boyfriend sent them to me," Grissom said, "Along with an e-mail detailing your actions. You want to see that too?"

"Yes," she said.

Grissom opened another file and showed her several e-mails from a man that she didn't even know detailing the sex act and telling Grissom that Sara no longer cared about him and that she had mentioned several times that she wanted out of the marriage but didn't know how to ask.

"Gil, I don't even know who this man is," she told him, "Honestly."

Grissom looked at her. There was something in her eyes that told him she was telling the truth. "You have no idea who this it?"

"He looks like the guy who was hired a few months ago," she said, "I think is name is Phil something or other. We did go out and eat one time but Nick and the others were there too."

"But how?" Grissom asked.

"I have no idea," Sara said, "But I think we know someone who may."

For the first time since he seen her Grissom smiled, "Archie."

Sara opened her phone and dialed a few numbers, "Hey Archie, I need a favor."

"Shoot," he said.

"Is there anyway that a person can combine two pictures and make it look like something that it isn't?" she asked.

"Sure," he said, with a chuckle in his voice, "As long as you know what your doing. I used to play tricks on Hodges all the time."

"Is there a way you can look at them and be able to tell," Grissom asked.

"Hey Grissom," Archie said, "Thought you fell off the face of the earth. Sure there is, if I had them in front of me."

"Give me your e-mail address and I'll forward them to you," Grissom said.

"The originals would work better but I think I can tell with these," Archie said, as he was opening up the file Grissom had sent him.

"Your kidding me right?" he said, "That is Phillip Owens and Sara."

"That is who I thought it was," Sara said, "I just want you to prove to Mr. Doubtful here that they are not real."

"I can tell you straight up that they are doctored," Archie said, "About four months ago Phil came to me and asked if he could use my equipment. He said that his brothers birthday was coming up and he wanted to play a joke on him by photo cropping some pictures together. I had no idea that this was what he was up to."

"Why me?" Sara said.

"Phillip did tell me that he was sweet on one of the ladies here at the lab but I didn't push it much," Archie said.

Sara thanked him and asked him not to say anything, "I'll take care of this when I get back."

"I think I am flying back to Vegas and kill him," Sara said.

"I think I will go with you," Grissom said, "This jack off almost cost me the most important thing in my life. Sara, I don't know what to say."

In one movement she was in his arms, "Say that you love me."

"With every fiber of my being," he said kissing her softly.

Grissom cleared it with Michelson and the next day he was on his way back to Vegas. Owens had to be dealt with, they just were not sure what could be done.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The sun was setting when the plane landed, Gil got their bags while Sara hailed a cab.

"I'll call Neal in the morning," Gil said as he unlocked the door.

"You need to call your mother too," Sara told him, "She has been pestering me about what is going on with us. You hungry?"

"A little," he said.

"You take a shower and change," Sara said, "I'll go see what I can put together. Have been eating out a lot so I'm not sure what is in the frig."

Gil headed for the bedroom while Sara gathered some things and placed them on the table. She had found some vegetables, fruit, cheese, biscuits and honey. Gil came in just as she finished.

"I don't remember these pajamas," he said.

"I bought them for your birthday, you remember the one you couldn't get home for because of the storm."

"Thank you, I like them. Looks good," he said, kissing her cheek and picking up a biscuit, "You make these?"

"Betty did," she told him, "Get started while I take my shower."

Over dinner Sara caught him up on all that had been going on.

"Sheriff Ecklie," he said with a slight chuckle in his voice, "But then I seen that coming. I never was to sure about that girl of Hodges anyway, not sure what but something just didn't feel right."

Gil yawned, he had forgotten how relaxing a hot shower could be, the water for the shower at the base camp was recycled rain water, it was stored in a large barrel like container and only warned by the sun.

"How about we get some sleep," Sara told him, "There is a lot to do tomorrow."

She headed for the room while he made sure the house was locked down. Once in bed Sara cuddled close to him and lay her head on his shoulder.

"You never did tell me why you decided to confront me about this," he said.

Sara started to tell him about the incident with the bomb, half way through she stopped and smiled. The story would have to wait, she could hear the soft even breathing of her husband as he slept. She snuggled a little closer and was soon asleep herself.

The next morning over breakfast their plans for the day were discussed. The first stop would be Neal Davis, a life long friend of Gil's and a darn good lawyer too. He needed to either call or go see his mother.

"I can see if she is free for dinner," he said.

He also decided on a trip to the lab to say hello to everyone, it was Monday and Phillip did not work Monday's so running into him would not be an issue. Sara did decide that it would be good for them to see his boss. Gil transferred everything on to a memory stick and after finishing their coffee they headed out the door.

"Not sure what you can do about this," Gil said to Davis, as he handed him the memory stick, "But there has to be something."

Neal plugged it into his computer, "Holy…..!"

"That's what I said when I first seen it," Gil told him, "I would be sitting here filing divorce papers if Sara hadn't came down."

"Can't say I would have blamed you," the lawyer said.

Sara told him what Archie had said and that he was willing to testify if necessary.

"Leave this with me," Mr. Davis said, "I'll check into a few things and get back with you."

"I'll tell you what I would like to do," Gil said.

Sara smiled, "You and the rest of the team when they find out."

"I can't say I blame you," Davis said, "But let me handle it. There is no need for anyone to get into trouble."

On their way to the lab Gil sent a text to his mother asking her if she wanted to have dinner. Her reply was, "No, now. I don't want to wait that long and I hope I get an explanation about what has been going on with you two."

"We have to make a stop first," Gil replied back, "We'll stop by to see you when we are done.

"I brought a visitor," Sara said to the receptionist.

"Dr. Grissom, how good to see you again," Judy said, handing him a visitors pass.

DB was in his office with Nick and Greg having a "family" meeting about the case they were working on.

Sara knocked, "You got a minute?"

DB motioned her to come in, "Did you solve your problem?"

Sara smiled and stepped aside, "We are working on it."

Introductions were made. "Nice to finally met you," DB said, "I have heard a lot about you."

"All good I hope," Gil said taking his out stretched hand.

Russell smiled, "For the most part."

Nick and Greg stood looking at him with their mouths open, neither knowing what to say.

"We'll explain everything to everyone at the same time over breakfast at MAC'S," Sara said, "Say around 9?"

They both just nodded. On the way out they ran into Jim Brass.

"Hey stranger," he said, "Good to see you." Then looking at Sara he just smiled, "I see your taking my advice."

Their next stop was to see his mother. Betty Grissom was at the collage where she worked. Over coffee Gil explained everything.

"I hope you are taking care of him," his mother signed.

"Our lawyer is taking care of it," Sara told her.

Betty stood and hugged her son and daughter-in-law.

She signed something and Gil just smiled. Sara's sign language was getting better but she still didn't get all of it, she asked Gil what Betty had said.

"She said that if I would keep myself home where I belonged this would not have happened in the first place," he said.

During breakfast the story was once more told, now everyone knew. Both Nick and Greg threatened to "beat the crap" out of Owens.

"I know where you can hide a body and it will never be found," Greg said.

"Yeah," Nick added, "And if it is I know how to make it look like suicide."

Archie was just smiling. He took a picture out of his pocket and passed it around.

"Two can play at this game," he said.

The picture was of Owens head cropped over that of a donkey.

"I appreciate the thoughts," Gil said, "But I can assure all of you that the matter was being taken care of. There was no need for any of you to get yourselves in trouble."


	4. Chapter 4

_Here is where the "M" rating comes in,_

ONE YEAR LATER:

Phillip Owens was taken care of, legally. Gil had persuaded the gang not to do anything "stupid" but the brand new car that Owens had spent his lifesavings on somehow mysteriously ended up with dig marks on it and all four tires slashed. Not to mention that, for some strange reason, sugar was found is his gas tank, oil ended up in his radiator and cement in his engine. No one clamed responsibility but everyone had a good laugh when it had to be scrapped.

"Damn thing only had 200 original miles on it," Owens had told the tow truck driver, almost in tears.

Gil did go on his trip to the St. Croix Rain Forest, but that would be the last time he would be away. After the six weeks he returned to Vegas and excepted a professorship at WLVU. He also started writing the book he had always wanted to but could not find the time.

As always Momma knows best, things between Gil and Sara was a lot better with him around full time. Betty often hinted at a grandchild to that both Gil and Sara laughed.

"Mom, we are both to old," he would tell her.

"There always is adoption," she would say.

He promised they would think about it.

Gil had been in his study all day long going through several new research books he had received.

Sara found him hunched over a book making notes in his less then legible handwriting. She cleared her throat and waited for him to notice her. She knew better then to try and talk to him until she was sure she had his complete attention, away from his bugs.

She coughed again and said, "Professor Grissom?"

He looked up and when he saw her he smiled, "Yes my love."

Sara walked over to him, "It is well past midnight. So how about you pay a little less attention to your bugs and more to your wife?"

"Feeling a little left out are we?" he asked, as he pulled her into his arms.

"You could say that," she told him, "You know sometimes I think you pay more attention to them then you do me?"

"I'm sorry," he said, "It is just that …"

Sara smiled, "I know. The deadline for the book is coming fast, and you need to finish your notes for your lecture."

"But none of that is more important then you," he told her taking her hand and leading her to their bedroom.

Gil went into the bathroom, Sara undressed then sat on the bed waiting for him. He had been very busy, still had a lot to do, maybe she should not have interrupted his work.

Gil was just finishing up. "I have been selfish," he said to himself, "Sara has had to work doubles for the last three days and this was her first day off. I should not be wasting this time with my bugs."

Gil walked into the bedroom, seeing his beautiful Sara caused a sudden warmth deep inside telling him that he was not going to waist anymore of this night.

He sat beside her and kissed her, then pushed her gently backwards until she was laying down. He stroked her hip and kissed her throat. When he laid his hand gentle on the soft mound between her legs, she arched upwards, needing more.

Gil straddled her, smiling at the face he had loved since the first time he seen it.

She pulled his face to hers and kissed him. He smiled at the beauty of her breasts just before he buried his face between them. Gil lift his head and kissed her once more just before Sara guided his lips to her nipples. He tenderly sucked at them, then he raised his head.

"You are remarkably beautiful," Grissom said quietly.

She closed her eyes.

He bent over her and kissed her mouth. Her lips parted immediately, and she returned his kiss. With his fingertips he stroked her shoulder, her neck and her ears.

He slipped down between her thighs and kissed her belly. His tongue flicked in and out of her navel. His head went lower, he kissed her soft nub. His lips pulled at the soft folds of her womanhood. His tongue began to probe in the crevices and then, as he parted her lips with his fingers, he softly sucked at her nub. He inserted two fingers into her opening, they found that tiny sensitive place that seem to elude less experienced men. She was overwhelmed with that sweet piercing sensation sending her nerves into overdrive. Unable to restrain herself, she begged him for more. He began to move faster and faster, Sara was totally absorbed in her pleasure. It built and built, feeding on it's self, until she felt utterly possessed by joy. Sara's climax went on and on, ending in something that felt like an explosion and left her so drained she thought she may never be able to move again.

Her mind seamed to go blank for a minute. She could still feel him between her legs, feel his cheek against the soft inside of her thighs, his lips kissing her there.

He changed positions, kneeling astride her chest. Sara lift her head as her lips closed around him, taking in all of his male member. Gil gave a soft groan as she used all she knew about him to bring him to the brink of exploding.

Just before he lost control, he moved and lay on top of her, entering her slowly. They moved together, slowly, like the rhythm of the sea on the beach. Gil put his hands under her hips and pulled her closer to him. Sara looked into his face, she knew he was ready to shed his self-control ready to give himself to her.

Gil groaned deep in his chest as she wrapped her legs around his waist and gave in to the pure ecstasy of the feel of his release splashing against her walls. He collapsed, unable to hold himself up any longer.

Gil felt heavy on top of her but she did not mind, she did not want him to move. She loved the feel of his weight on her. From time to time he would move his head and kiss her cheek or raise his hand and stroke her face.

She stirred, Gil rolled from her and engulfed her in his arms.

Sara lay in his arms, she was some place between needing more and needing sleep. Needing more would have to wait as she drift off to sleep.

THE END


End file.
